Open thread: Wizards (15-45) vs. Timberwolves (15-48)

By
Michael Lee

A day after the death of his mother, Kay, Coach Flip Saunders will lead the Wizards against his former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wizards will try to snap a seven-game losing streak, but they will be shorthanded without leading scorer Nick Young (flu) and starting small forward Josh Howard (left hamstring). Their season-high for consecutive losses is eight. Timberwolves all-star forward Kevin Love has had a single-season-record 49 straight double-doubles after getting 21 points and 23 rebounds in a loss to Philadelphia on Friday. Love has had 10 games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds of the season. The Timberwolves dropped to 5-26 overall on the road.

Let the conversation begin in the thread below. You can also join the conversation on Twitter with Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee). See your tweets here by using #wizards.

NIck Young & Howard are out so there goes those advantages. Starting a rookie backcourt tonight with Wall & Crawford. To me this is one of those throwback games to late last year. Dray is feeling good after last game and I think Flip will milk him tonight. It will be Love vs Dray and whoever wins that battle will probably win the game. Dray won it last year in that situation. Can he do it again?

Most will doubt it and most think it wont come down to that anyways but Id like to see it. Feed Dray early, see what he has, and see can he start carrying us again like he did last year or will he again look like crap & get destroyed by Love. It would be awesome if Dray played well and ended Love's streak. I wouldnt mind seeing Seraphin & Booker matched up with him on the boards either if Dray cant get it done

I need to make an apology. I believe I said earlier in the year that Booker would not be able to handle Love (mainly because of the height difference). Book is playing him about as well as I have seen anyone play him.

Book needs an 18 ft jumper so that he can participate more fully in the offense. But with the energy and effort he brings, and the season we're having, they've got to give Book minutes. He's earning them.

I actually like the way the Wizards are handling Booker. For a team that tends to lose energy in the second half of games, it's clear that they keep him in reserve in the first half so that he can give them a boost going into the 4th quarter. I have a hard time seeing how anyone could maintain his level of intensity night in and night out for 30-35 minutes. Maybe it's possible, but one thing that we've learned is that he is capable of giving this team at least an 18 minute power-boost.

Wall is the first building block, but Booker is also an important piece -- he's one of those glue guys that good teams need.

Maurice Evans was also big tonight in the 4th quarter, as was Cartier Martin. Blatche and Wall played well too. Good team effort.

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